Before the Twins Came (Book Two)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jenni gave me a quick hug, glaring over my shoulder at Steve and Patricia the whole time. She had run up to my room with me, helping me through a few things in a duffel bag while Mark and Steve did the same elsewhere. Our conversation, though short, consisted of how it wasn't fair that she didn't get to go, what a jerk Steve was being, at least I got to go and have some fun, I was sorry she couldn't, and at least she wouldn't be stuck in a car with surly Mark. Now we were in the kitchen, saying goodbye to everyone. Ryan and Mark were having a quiet, rapid-fire discussion by the stove, voices low so no one could hear them. Peter was saying bye to his dad, discussing something or another about our plans and him helping his mother take care of everyone.

"Sera!" Lanie's insistent tug at my hand brought my attention back down to her.

"Sorry, Lan, I was spacing," I admitted, stooping a bit to be on level with her.

"Be careful! And bring Grace back with you, I like her!"

"All right, Lanie," I agreed with a laugh, pulling her into a hug. "You watch out for your brother and sister, you hear me? Keep Jay out of trouble and don't let the boys pick on Jenni." I shot her a smile over the top of Lanie's head. I could just imagine Lanie with her hands perched on her hips telling Ryan and Jaydon off for some comment they made to her big sister. Lanie was a force to be reckoned with, especialy when she flashed her big blue puppy dog eyes in your direction. None of us had found a way to defend against them but we kept trying to. Until then, she would always get whatever she wanted from us.

"Bye, Sera," Jay said next, grabbing me in a quick hug. "Anybody messes with you, take 'em out."

"Including you?" I asked with a smirk.

"No," he replied, "not me."

"Fine," I said, just before Steve called for me and Mark. I turned away, grabbing my duffel off the floor, and was unsurprised when a hand shot out and ruffled my hair. "I'll take you out," I muttered threateningly in Jaydon's direction as I walked away.

Outside, we got into Steve's Mercedes-Benz sedan, tossing our bags in the trunk. Steve was of course driving, and Mark got to have shotgun since he was supposed to figure out where we were going. That left me and Aiya in the back. I didn't feel much like talking, so I pulled out my iPod and used my headphones to effectively block out the rest of the world as I stared out the window.

South was a very general direction, I soon realized. Steve took the first highway out of town leading that way. We drove for four hours before we stopped to get some gas, buy some snacks (Mark had been complaining about being hungry off and on for the last hour), and use the restrooms.

"Are we still heading in the right direction?" Aiya asked as she returned to where Mark was leaning against the car, monitoring the gas being pumped in.

He crossed his arms over his chest, closed his eyes, and stayed that way for about a minute. "Yes," he finally answered. "I'm still feeling south. Although maybe a bit east too?" Unsure was a strange sound in Mark's voice, I realized. I'd never heard him sound that way before.

Aiya made a frustrated sound in her throat and I started to feel defensive. It wasn't Mark's fault that Grace had run off and it wasn't his fault that he was having a hard time pinpointing her location just by feeling for her. Especially since he hadn't known her for very long or very well at all before she had disappeared! I bet Aiya wouldn't have been able to do much better in his position, and I was about to say so when Steve returned, arms laden with food and drinks.

"Mark thinks we should head southeast now," Aiya said immediately, turning to him. I could tell by the glint in Steve's eyes that he didn't like how the words came out sounding a bit like a command, but he didn't say anything, just nodded.

The miles and hours of driving took turns flying by and dragging on. No one really spoke in the car other than the occassional complaint or softly spoken observation of something interesting. It started getting dark and Steve pulled off at the first motel he saw.

"Aiya, Sera, are you two all right with sharing a room? Two beds of course." We nodded. "Good. I'll go get us some rooms and then we'll go find some place to eat before we turn in. I suppose everyone wants to get an early start tomorrow?" A quiet chorus of yes answered the question, and then he slipped from the car, leaving us in an awkward silence.

"Are we still going in the right direction?" Aiya asked after a few moments. I was honestly getting very tired of that question. I was pretty sure that Mark would say if we were heading in the wrong direction, after all, it was his mate we were trying to find. I was just about to speak up when Mark spoke.

"Yes, so stop asking me! I'll tell Steve if it changes, until then, just ride along quietly. Unless you think you can find her without me," he hissed.

Well. I'd been waiting for Mark to say something, and I was actually glad that he had. Normally I got mad when he acted like that, but I didn't like or trust Aiya all that much, so I enjoyed watching her shrink into herself a little bit as his words hit her. She didn't reply, probably afraid that she would get her head bit off if she did. Which she might, literally.

"All right, everyone," Steve said, sliding back into the car, seemingly oblvious to what had just transpired and the remaining tension, "Where do you want to eat?"